Features » November 19, 2012

Help Obama Find His Shoes

As Obama begins his second term, Republican obstructionism cannot be an excuse for inaction—particularly when it comes to the president’s use of his bully pulpit.

President Barack Obama’s re-election is a huge relief—we dodged the Romney/Ryan bullet.

However, that’s not the same as winning a better future. If Obama’s first term is a prologue to the second, we should not expect to see much progress in strengthening the rights or bargaining ability of workers. Therefore, in Obama’s second term, we need to be:

• Smarter about the policies we advocate.

• Selective about the candidates we endorse.

• More disciplined about building a strong social movement.

Progressives need to recognize where the real fight is happening. Congress is still firmly under Republican control—or, at least, under threat of a Republican veto that can stop any worthwhile federal legislation. Since progress won’t happen in Washington, we must work for it at the state and local level. We are already seeing some of the most exciting innovations take shape in cities and metropolitan regions. Urban labor-community coalitions are making respect for collective bargaining a precondition for businesses to receive public support. They are also approaching politics in a new way. In exchange for supporting candidates, these coalitions are ensuring that politicians use the bully pulpit to defend workers and denounce union-busting. In San Jose, Calif., student, labor and faith groups demanded that local politicians back an across-the-board minimum wage increase that passed on Election Day. And in Long Beach, Calif., a coalition of LGBT activists, labor and faith groups got city council members to endorse a ballot measure for hotel housekeepers to get a raise, which passed.

Such coalitions must evaluate elected officials on whether or not they understand that their success in pushing legislation forward is directly linked to the strength of social movements. As Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) told me earlier this year in an interview for The American Prospect, “Sympathetic members of Congress have the power to draft, introduce and vote on legislation. But leaders in the progressive community … have the ability to mobilize, educate and organize all across America. We need each other to be successful.” We can no longer afford to invest in politicians who do not understand this.

Most candidates favored by Democratic Party powerbrokers are unable to grasp this concept. The few who do have social-movement roots, such as Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). Consequently, a long-term electoral strategy must involve cultivating candidates directly from the ranks of social movements and then fighting for them in the primaries.

As Obama begins his second term, Republican obstructionism cannot be an excuse for inaction—particularly when it comes to the president’s use of his bully pulpit.

During the recent attacks on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin and Ohio, and during the teachers’ strike in Chicago, White House leadership was nowhere to be found. Obama once promised, “If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I’ll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America.”

The President seems to have misplaced his walking shoes. We should send him a new pair—and make sure that no future candidates we endorse have any excuse for losing theirs.

Amy Dean is a fellow of The Century Foundation and principal of ABD Ventures, LLC, an organizational development consulting firm that works to develop new and innovative organizing strategies for social change organizations. Dean is co-author, with David Reynolds, of A New New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement. Dean has worked for nearly two decades at the cross section of labor and community based organizations linking policy and research with action and advocacy. You can follow Amy on twitter @amybdean, or she can be reached via www.amybdean.com.

If you are not careful - Social Security will be cut futher. the raising the age requirement from 65 to 66 is a 6.2/3% cut in benefits. During the debates both parties said social security is off the table "SO WHY IS THERE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT NOW ???? Washington doesn't want to admit this entire disaster is their doing - de-regulation - forclosures - diveratives - the bailout that has not been paid back ( which they insist it has been( so where is the money??)). . All their talks of voter suspression ?.?.? Why weren't any third party candidates at any of the debates - LOCKED-OUT....BLOCKED-OUT (other than a write-in how do you vote for someone you do not know if they running??)

Posted by William Bednarz on 2012-11-26 21:11:23

He actually HAS been doing everything he can within the limitations of his power in office. He has managed to accomplish a remarkable number of things under the circumstances (constant opposition from the right), and I'm certain that no one else could do better. President Obama, unlike Clinton, has been unwilling to cause further harm to the post-middle class/poor to temporarily appease the right wing, and this makes him the best president we've had since before this right-wing era began with Reagan. From there, we could discuss his remarkable achievements internationally to date (as long as we keep the discussion within the realm of reality, based on conditions as they actually are).

Posted by DH Fabian on 2012-11-23 17:24:31

On this point, you need to dig out your old civics text book to review how our form of government works. Except in the case of national emergency, the president can't do anything without the "go ahead" from Congress. Congress has powerful incentives to keep the corporate sector happy, and this won't change unless the people compel them to change. That's not going to happen during this generation, I don't think.

Posted by DH Fabian on 2012-11-23 17:17:31

You need to remember how deeply the "left" has been divided by class. The "Occupy Movement" began as an incredible, powerful thing that really could have changed the country. It was almost instantly redefined as being of, for, about the middle class alone. A sort of Bourgeoisie Bash, and the rest of us went home. Today, our media recognizes no one below a certain economic level. The media designed to appeal to today's liberals, such as MSNBC, is all about, only about, middle class workers, those who haven't lost everything yet. That's unfortunate.

Posted by DH Fabian on 2012-11-23 17:13:29

The saddest thing is that he's our best option

Posted by bruce on 2012-11-22 21:18:09

How about reminding Obama to repeal the Patriot Act , the NDAA, or at least give Americans some of their civil liberties back. And instead of expanding surveillance on US citizens reign that and the TSA in too. America is no longer living in a free society and Obama has a hell of a lot to do with it.